


Insatiable

by thatotherme



Category: Darker Than Black
Genre: Belly Kink, Belly Rubs, Bloating, Eating, F/M, Feeding, Feeding Kink, Stomach Ache, Stuffing, upset stomach
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26802592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatotherme/pseuds/thatotherme
Summary: Yin appears to have developed a particular interest in Hei's stomach.
Relationships: Hei/Yin
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	1. Hunger Pangs

“Hei.”

The dark-haired man jerked awake abruptly, his slate-blue eyes almost feral for a moment as he looked wildly around the darkened and unfamiliar room...blood rushed in his ears, muscles contracting throughout his lithe body as though braced for attack; he was ready.

It was a few moments before the dull shapes of stacked crates and the musty smell of old wood triggered something in his memory, and gradually, his surroundings grew familiar, as did the stack of wooden slats on which he found himself sleeping. That's right...an abandoned old warehouse, dark and empty, strewn about with upturned empty crates and boxes stacked high to its echoing ceilings long forgotten...good enough for a temporary shelter, that's what he had decided.

Hei let his breath out all at once as he realized he had been holding it, and looked over at last to the petite young woman kneeling next to him. Even in the shadows, Yin's silver hair seemed to glow slightly, her ethereal violet eyes staring absently to the side as she gazed expressionlessly off at something Hei couldn't see.

“Yin.” There was still a tension to his tone, and once more, his gaze swept the quiet, dusty warehouse for any sign of danger. “Is something wrong? Is someone coming?”

Yin gave a single shake of her head, her expression unchanged, and she continued to simply kneel at his side next to the slats he was sitting on...Hei's shoulders relaxed a little, because he had no reason to distrust her. If there was danger nearby, one of them would have sensed it.

“Then what is it? Why are you awake?”

Yin shook her head again, though Hei supposed he hadn't really expected her to respond. He drew one knee up and rested his elbow on it, resting his other hand behind him as he regarded her.

“Can't sleep?”

She nodded, and Hei sighed softly, nodding. “How come? Something on your mind?”

“No.”

“Is it where we are? It's too uncomfortable?”

“No.”

Hei lapsed into silence...he often found himself at a loss when it came to Yin. He was supposed to be taking care of her, after all, but even though he tried his best, he didn't think he did a very good job most of the time. He could take care of himself, that was fine, but Yin...

He shook his head, finally relenting to fall onto his back again, tucking one hand behind his head as he did so.

“Well, try to go back to sleep. We need to get moving again in the morning, and –,”

“Your belly.”

Hei faltered, not having expected Yin to speak again, and looked over at her in surprise.

“What?”

"Your belly.”

Yin's dull expression remained unchanged, her amethyst gaze still somewhere off to the side.

A touch of color passed over Hei's pale features, and he propped himself up on his elbows to look at her, increasingly confused.

“My...belly? What about it?”

He moved a hand to the offending area, which was pale and bare against the moonlight streaming through the holes in the warehouse roof.

“Why I can't sleep,” Yin said dully. 

Hei looked down at himself, his confusion mounting, and rubbed his hand tenderly over his flat but untoned stomach...he looked back up at Yin.

“I don't underst –,”

 _Gggggggggggggggggggggwwwwwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh_.

“U-uhn...”

Hei clapped a hand to his stomach as it let out the most monstrous growl he had ever heard, the sound rising upwards to the high roof and echoing around the entire warehouse...for one wild moment, Hei thought he even saw the surrounding crate stacks and boxes shake slightly.

Suddenly, he suddenly felt a delicate hand being placed flat against his bare belly, eyes widening in surprise as he tore them away from their secret hideout to find Yin still sitting there next to him, her arm outstretched.

“Hei's belly,” she said expressionlessly again. “Can't sleep.”

Realization dawned on Hei, and he looked back down at himself, at his large hand resting next to Yin's much smaller one, side by side on his empty stomach. It was no secret (to anyone) that he had a huge appetite, and it wasn't uncommon for his stomach to growl loudly and constantly when he was hungry, but he hadn't realized how bad it sounded in the warehouse, a little surprised that he himself had slept through it.

“Hungry,” Yin observed, her hand still resting limply on the Black Reaper's rumbling stomach.

Hei hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.

“Yeah. But there's nothing we can do about it right now,” he said sternly, somewhat apologetic.

“Eat,” said Yin.

Hei shook his head. “We don't have anything to eat. We won't until we set out tomorrow morning...”

“Eat.”

To Hei's surprise, her hand moved in one brief, simple circle across his stomach, coming to rest against his bellybutton.

“Yin...” Hei started in protest, coloring slightly again.

Yin didn't say anything, nor did she move her hand, which rose and fell softly as Hei breathed in and out.

"Eat," she said, and even though her tone was as neutral as ever, Hei could practically feel the stubbornness radiating from her. “Feed Hei's belly.”

“Yin, stop talking about my belly...”

Another soft rub, before her delicate fingers returned to their original place resting over his bellybutton.

“Hungry.” she uttered stubbornly in retaliation. 

She patted his stomach, and Hei let out a heavy, tired sigh.

“...All right. We'll have to walk a little ways, but I saw a convenience store on the way here,” he relented at last, though he would have preferred they lay low and wait until morning. “It should still be open. Just...stick close to me, okay? And don't draw any attention to us.”

Yin gave a single nod...despite her neutral expression, Hei could have sworn he saw a hint of a satisfied smirk on her pale features.

He sighed, sitting up again and swinging his legs over the side of the stacked wooden slats...then wrapped both arms around his stomach as it let out another terrifying grumble.

 _Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurgggggggggggggggggggggggllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllle_.

Hei leaned forward for a moment, squeezing his arms tight around his belly as the hunger pang hit him, though it did little to muffle the noise.

“Nhh...come on, “ he said, grabbing his shirt, which Yin promptly grasped between two fingers once he had pulled it over his head. "Let's go.”

\---

The tiny, cramped convenience store was lit by cheap, glaring artificial lighting which flickered maddeningly...the rickety shelves were stocked high with all kinds of non-perishables, a tiny refrigerator shoved in near the front with a small selection of sandwiches and rice balls as well.

Expression stormy and on high alert, Hei skulked through the aisles with Yin at his side, eyes darting quickly around, ever-alert for signs of danger. They were running from the Syndicate, after all, and it was impossible to tell who was on the inside...just because he hadn't seen any signs of them being tracked doesn't mean the Syndicate wasn't hot on their trail.

“Okay. Just grab a couple things and let's get out of here,” he muttered roughly to Yin. “Get something you want too, all right?”

A vague nod from Yin. Hei sighed and snatched a nutrition bar off one of the shelves, and then a packet of chips, letting Yin wander off inside the tiny store to choose something as well. While she did that, Hei moved to stand closer to the entrance, pretending to be looking at magazines on the small rack there, but casting dark glances at the door every so often, watchful of anyone coming through it.

It took longer than he'd thought for Yin to pick something, but at last, he caught sight of her silver hair heading toward the counter... he closed the magazine he was pretending to read and started toward her, faltering as he got closer.

“Yin...what...”

She had found a basket, and from the looks of it, she had filled the entire thing with what looked to be one of everything in the store...sandwiches, wraps, chips, cookies, energy bars, rice balls, cheap bentos, dried packaged meat, soup cans, and a plethora of other junk food...she was having to hold the basket up with both of her small hands, standing patiently at the counter as she waited for Hei to arrive.

Trying desperately not to make a scene or look suspicious, Hei moved cautiously up to her, throwing nervous glances at the clerk behind the counter every so often.

“Yin,” he uttered quietly, trying not to move his lips. “What are you doing...you're going to draw attention...”

Yin didn't respond or look at him...rather, she simply heaved the overflowing basket up onto the counter.

The young man behind the counter stared.

“Er...did you find everything you needed, ma'am?” he asked, and Yin gave a simple nod. “Will...the two of you be paying together?”

Hei sighed, realizing he was still holding his nutrition bar and packet of chips...after a moment, he forced his face into a dopey smile and slipped his free hand into his pocket.

“Yup! All together, thanks,” he said with false livelihood, slipping some cash out of his wallet to slide across the counter.

 _Gurgrgurgurgrrgrgggghhhh_.

Hei kept smiling, as though he hadn't noticed the loud noise that all three of them had clearly heard.

“Throwing...a party, huh?” the clerk guessed, looking taken aback and pulling the large basket closer to begin ringing up the items.

“Yup,” Hei said idly, keeping his face contorted into a carefree smile.

_Gwwwwwwwworrrrrrrrrrrrrgh. Gurglegurgle._

“Just a few friends-,”

 _Rumbleerrrrgggrrgh_.

“-coming over, and-,”

 _Rrrlrlrlrrlllp_.

“-she always wants to be sure they-,”

 _Gurglegurglerrrrrllrlrrp_.

“-have enough snacks.”

_Rrrrrrgllllllpppppp. GWWWOOOOOOOOOOOORP._

“Uh...um...that sounds nice,” the young man behind the counter stared at Hei for a few moments, trying and failing to look like he hadn't noticed the obnoxiously loud, somewhat terrifying noises coming from Hei's stomach.

Hei cast a half-glare at Yin as the clerk busied himself with their items, but Yin continued staring absently straight ahead...he sighed. Despite his anxiety, there was no denying that he was starving. It always took so much food to fill him up in the first place, but it had been days since he'd had anything at all, and almost everyone he knew was aware that he would eat as much as it took to satisfy his constantly-hungry stomach on the rare occasion that he could.

At long last, the clerk finished bagging all their items, pushing them all toward Yin and Hei and still looking stunned.

“Well...have a nice evening, sir, ma'am,” he said.

“Thanks, you too,” Hei replied easily with a smile, handing some of the lighter bags to Yin and then grabbing the rest with both hands and jerking his head at Yin to follow him out of the store.

It was only once they were a little ways away that Hei glanced around before nudging Yin into an alley, setting the bags down so that he could instead grip her shoulders, leaning down toward her in mingled gratitude and exasperation to try and get her attention.

“Yin, why did you do that?” he uttered, his voice strained and all traces of his fake smile gone. “We're supposed to be keeping a low profile, you know that. Buying so much food...it makes us stand out.”

Yin seemed unperturbed.

“Hungry,” she accused again.

Hei sighed, his head dropping in defeat, but then leaned down to pick the bags up again and turned out of the alley.

“Come on. We shouldn't go back to the warehouse now, someone might have seen us leave it. Let's grab the next subway out and find a motel or something on the other side of town.”

Yin followed him without complaint, down a few blocks and then down the steps into one of the subway entrances after Hei had looked around to make sure nobody saw them do so.

The subway was near-empty at such a late hour, and Hei made sure to choose a subway car that was completely empty, stepping on board with Yin and nodding her toward a far corner, which he made her sit in before sitting down next to her almost protectively to block her from view even though there was no one else around. He set the bags down around their feet and then leaned back in his seat, letting his head drop back against the window pane behind them as he closed his eyes. He hadn't gotten enough sleep...

 _Grgrgrggghhhh_.

Hei sighed, but his eyes flew open a moment later as he unexpectedly felt a small hand press lightly into his stomach for the second time that night, looking over at Yin in surprise.

“H-hey,” he protested. “Why are you doing that?”

Yin didn't respond, though she looked expectant.

 _Grumblegrumblegrrrrp_.

Yin's hand shifted upwards over Hei's diaphragm where the noise had originated from, resting it there patiently. Hei felt his face coloring slightly again.

“Yin?” he asked again, his tone somewhat awkward. “Wh-what are you doing?”

 _Grrrrrlllllp_.

Promptly, Yin's hand shifted downwards to press lightly against the side of Hei's stomach closer to her, pushing into his intestines just a little where the second sound had come from.

 _GWOOORRGHHH_.

Yin moved her hand down swiftly to Hei's soft underbelly, pressing her fingers in a little.

“Loud,” she observed.

Hei felt his face heat up quite a bit more noticeably at her explanation, and he lifted his hand as though to stop her from touching him, but then let it drop defeatedly down again, his arms resting limply at his sides as he looked down at Yin's hand on his stomach.

“Yin...”

Her hand pressed softly into him again in response, and Hei closed his eyes for a few moments, letting her do as she pleased...he was too tired and hungry to do anything else. Next to him, Yin leaned slightly into his side, gazing absently over the top of his empty belly as she did so.

 _Guuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlpppppppppp_.

Yin moved her hand again, and Hei's eyes flew open in alarm as her cool fingers slipped lightly underneath his shirt, pressing up against his heated abdomen.

“H-hey...”

“Hungry,” Yin commented flatly. “Loud. Hei needs food.”

Hei sighed, peering sideways over at her.

“Yeah, I know my stomach's loud, Yin,” he relented. “I'll eat soon.”

She leaned into his side a little more, her head coming to rest against his collarbone as she stared absently into space. She gave Hei's stomach another brief rub under his shirt, and Hei glanced around as though worried somebody would see, even though they were alone in the train car.

“Yin – nrgh.”

_Grrlp. Grrrh. Gllplplp._

A little noise escaped his gut every time her fingers pressed into it, and Hei colored further. After a moment, Yin's head settled more heavily against him.

“Gurgle,” she said tonelessly, and in embarrassment Hei realized she was mimicking the noises she was causing his stomach to make. “Rumble. Grumble.”

“Yin...”

At least she was keeping herself entertained, he supposed...he let his head drop back against the window pane behind them again, closing his eyes and letting Yin push absently with his stomach while the subway raced them across the city.

It was only a half hour later, when it finally began to pull into the right station, that he opened his eyes again, annoyed with himself that he'd nearly drifted off. He lifted his head and looked down at Yin...she appeared to have fallen asleep entirely, breathing softly against him, her small hand still resting almost protectively over his bare belly beneath his shirt.

Hei swallowed...they couldn't stay here forever. Lightly, he reached over to shake Yin awake, pulling her hand away from his stomach with some reluctance and pulling her to her feet instead.

“Come on,” he murmured, his voice a little gentler than usual as he picked up the shopping bags, including the lighter ones that Yin had been carrying before. “We're almost there.”

Yin didn't say anything, but followed him sleepily off the subway. Hei's haggard visage glanced cautiously back and forth as they stepped onto the platform, but it didn't seem like anybody was watching them.

He took Yin back up and out onto the outskirts of the city...the buildings here were more scattered, but it didn't take him long to spot a small, run-down motel, lit dimly with mismatched lights and a flickering “vacancy” sign.

Hoping that his stomach would shut up for long enough to check in, Hei paid for a room after speaking to the dull-looking woman behind the front desk, slipping a spare keycard into the pocket of Yin's dress before putting his own between his teeth and taking Yin's hand again, taking both her and the shopping bags upstairs.

No sooner had he dumped all their shopping bags on one of the two rickety single beds in the room, Hei moved to start investigating their surroundings, checking to make sure the windows were locked, that nothing appeared tampered with, that no bugs or hidden mics had been planted in the fixtures...he did this any time they ventured into society to stay somewhere, even if it was only for one night. It was the only way they could stay safe.

Finally satisfied, he let out a quiet sigh of relief, turning to find Yin sitting vaguely on the bed next to their bags. He walked over to her and sat down on the bed opposite, facing her, though the mattresses were close enough together that their knees practically touched.

“You okay?” he asked gravely. “You hungry?”

Yin was silent for a few moments, then looked roughly in the direction of the snacks they had bought, selecting a riceball and unwrapping it...she never ate much, but Hei was glad she'd found something she liked.

After a few moments, she looked over in Hei's general direction, surveying him over the top of her riceball as she chewed it.

“Hei. Eat.”

Hei sighed, and nodded. “Yeah, okay. Pass me something.”

And she passed him a rice ball as well, gazing at him expectantly.


	2. Tummy Troubles

Hei didn't like letting his guard down. With the Syndicate ever-breathing down their necks, a moment of weakness was a death sentence. It was no different than the war in South America had been, and part of him didn't think it would ever change. If nothing else, the fact that he was a Contractor meant that he would always have a target on his back no matter what.

And yet...it was moments like this, when he was alone with Yin, just for a little while, that he stopped pretending he wasn't human. The food hitting his stomach made him realize all at once how hungry he actually was, and gradually, he began to eat more quickly...and then more urgently. Silently, Yin would hand him something to eat, and Hei in turn would devour it. Indeed, before long he was practically snatching whatever she passed him out of her hand and tearing into it, his hunger growing almost as fast as he was able to sate it.

Before long, wrappers and packaging were strewn about the mattress he was sitting on the edge of and around the floor at their feet, accounting for nearly half of the cheap sustenance they had cobbled together from the convenience store. Yin, however, continued to hand him things, and Hei continued to eat them. When was the last time they had stopped for a meal, anyway? He couldn't remember. Yin rarely complained and had little interest in food anyway, but the amount of energy and calories Hei burned when they were on the run, especially when they ran into rogue contractors, was at least partially responsible for his well-known and voracious appetite. And so, he kept eating. And eating.

In the back of his mind, it registered to him that the pile of sandwiches they had brought with them tasted a little...off, but he was so hungry that he didn't care. He took another one ravenously as Yin held it out to him, downing it in no more than three bites, grabbing the wrapped rice ball she held out to him before he was even done chewing.

“Nh...more,” he managed between mouthfuls, and Yin handed him a can of soup, which he popped the lid off of and drank cold, wiping his mouth distractedly as he set the empty can aside and taking the energy bar she gave to him instead.

It took so much to fill him up, and he wondered vaguely that it wouldn't be enough...worried that he would get too far into his feverish state of needing to consume more and more food that he'd make a bad judgment call, drag Yin to some late night diner or something just so that he could continue filling his belly.

“More.”

She handed him a package of dried meat, which he opened and began to tear strips off of with his teeth while Yin passed him another can of soup. He popped the lid, chugging some of the soup down as he chewed impatiently on a piece of meat, then stuffed the rest of it into his mouth and swallowed it all at once.

Gradually, the stash began to dwindle, and gradually, Hei's pace began to slow, growing less desperate and more content. Yin handed him a candy bar, and he tore the wrapper off with his teeth before taking a bite, chewing slowly and taking a moment to actually taste what he was eating. He hadn't cooked for them in a long while, and it was no substitute, but he wasn't hungry anymore.

He finished the candy bar and looked over at Yin, but she didn't hand him anything else. Hei's dull blue eyes swept over the floor and bedspread, and after a moment he realized with embarrassment that it was because there was nothing left.

He let out a long, contented sigh, letting himself fall backwards onto the mattress with his legs still hanging over the side. The familiar feeling of satisfaction after a large meal settled over him, and the tension lines in his face seemed to lessen as he closed his eyes for a few moments. Nearby, he heard Yin get to her feet, crossing over from the other bed she was sitting on to sit beside him, instead.

“Thank you, Yin,” he murmured after a silence, his eyes still closed. “Huh-?”

He stirred slightly as he felt Yin's hand come to rest idly on top of his stomach, her thumb and forefinger clutching the material of his shirt lightly. He often felt her tugging on his clothing, however, as though she was making sure he wasn't going anywhere, or to reassure herself that he was nearby, he wasn't sure which, and so he simply let her.

“You all right, Yin? You get enough?”

A familiar pause.

“I got enough, Hei.”

“That's good.”

He lapsed into silence, content to simply lay there after his large meal, knowing that he'd secured the room and that Yin was safe nearby. They had only gotten a few hours of sleep so far that night, and he felt himself starting to drift a little.

“...Full.”

Cracking his eyes open, Hei looked over at Yin blankly. She wasn't looking at him, instead gazing at the far wall, but her hand ran in a light circle over his stomach before coming to rest just below his bellybutton.

“Full. 'Food baby',” she said again, and Hei flushed...where had she even learned that word?

He lifted his head just slightly off the mattress to look down at himself. He had always been able to pack away a lot, but the meal tonight had been large enough that there was a slight curvature to his usually flat stomach, firm and solid instead of soft and palpable as it normally was. No wonder he felt so satisfied...

He let his head drop back, his eyes closing again.

“Hei's full now.”

He felt her pat his belly a little, and he gave a faint nod.

“Yeah. I got enough,” he assured her in a murmur, feeling sleep creeping up on him yet again. “Time for bed, Yin.”

He kicked off his shoes without getting up, swinging his legs up onto the bed and stuffing one of the cheap motel pillows behind his head with a sigh. There was only a few hours left until morning, but some shut-eye was better than nothing. He reasoned that Yin was probably even more tired than he was, given that his stomach had apparently been keeping her awake before he'd eaten anyway.

He could still feel her sitting on the edge of his mattress, however, and he cracked his eyes open once more to look over at her.

“What's wrong?” he asked wearily. “Go to bed, Yin.”

 _Fwump_.

He watched her flop over like a dead weight, her eyes still staring vacantly at the far wall as she keeled over sideways onto his bed, her head coming to rest against his full belly. Hei lifted his head again to look down at her, his eyebrows knitting together slightly.

“Hey...what are you doing?” he mumbled. “Your bed's over there.”

Stubbornly, Yin remained where she was, still gazing off into space. Hei shook his head.

“I'm serious...you're not gonna be comfortable sleeping like that, go to bed and--,”

“Comfortable.”

“What?”

“I'm comfortable,” Yin reiterated tonelessly.

“On my stomach?” Hei pressed doubtfully.

She gave a faint nod, and a delicate hand sliding up to rest on his abdomen next to her face. She closed her eyes, turning her face so that it was pressing slightly into his 'food baby', as she had called it, and drew her knees up, curling against him as though determined to stay where she was.

“Full belly,” she monotoned.

Hei rubbed his forehead, exasperated, but he was too tired to argue with her, especially when it looked as though she was finally drifting off.

So, he relented to let her stay where she was, and by the time he had dropped his head back again, he was asleep before it hit the pillow.

\-----------

((Listen to Hei's upset stomach while you read: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IL3ky-Kcj8))

“Nhh...”

Hei awoke slowly to a faint, sick-sounding noise, his eyebrows drawing together tightly as he buried his face more deeply into the pillow he was hugging. He stirred a little, then grew still again as a wave of fatigue crashed over him, beckoning him to fall back to sleep. He could feel his forehead touching his knees as he lay on his side, squeezing his eyes shut against the sunlight he could sense streaming through heavy lids.

 _Sunlight_?

“N...nhhhh...”

He twisted a little in mounting discomfort, forcing himself to crack his eyes open. The vaguely-familiar motel room swam into focus, and he cringed a little, curling up tighter.

_Morning...it's light outside...we have to move. We'll..._

He realized with a sudden, horrifying lurch that he didn't know where Yin was, lurching into a sitting position and then slumping forward slightly as another sickly groan bubbled around in his gut.

“Y...Yin,” he managed hoarsely.

His eyes fell on her a moment later, however...she was standing by the one window in the room, gazing out of it as though in a daydream; he knew that look. She had sent her specter out.

Hei rested his elbow on his knee, hunching forward further and squeezing his other arm around his stomach.

“Nhh...Yin...what are you doing?” he rasped. “It's...morning...why didn't you wake me? Ohhh...”

His gut churned again, then gave a deep groan, its contents sloshing around audibly as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and clutched it for a moment.

_My stomach...nhh...what's wrong with me?_

Shadowed eyes shifted back toward Yin, who was still staring out the window.

“It's all right,” she said dully. “I kept watch. It's safe. Hei could sleep.”

Hei forced himself to his feet, lumbering over to her heavily and gripping her arm, looking exhausted but anxious.

“Oof...nhh...you don't decide whether it's safe. I do,” he uttered weakly. “We should have left hours ago, you know we can't stay in one place for too long. O-ooh...”

“It's safe,” Yin repeated. “Hei could sleep. It's safe. For now.”

Hei sighed, but then did a double-take, his grip tightening on her arm again as he looked at her with worn but fearful eyes.

“For now?” he repeated. “Nh...what does that mean?”

Yin's gaze drifted back out the window.

“Two Contractors,” she droned expressionlessly. “Two blocks. They're slow. They're heading this way.”

Hei's eyes widened, his pupils contracting to pinpricks for a moment and his already pale face growing bloodless.

“How much time do we have?” he asked Yin urgently.

“About twenty minutes.”

Hei swore, then let go of her arm, grabbing the worn old backpack he used to carry their things around off the floor and stuffing a few things into it.

“We have to move,” he said tersely...he would have to re-explain to Yin later why it was important that she not do things like buy him too much food or let him sleep in. “We'll head to the next town. We need to get away.”

He pulled Yin away from the window to have her stand out of sight instead while he got ready.

“Which direction are they coming from?” he uttered. “East? West? We need to...nhh...ouh...”

He faltered, gripping the edge of the wooden dresser next to the beds as his stomach let out a deep, heavy gurgle, feeling his insides quaking as it did so.

“U...unghhhh...”

Quite suddenly, he dropped to his knees, the backpack dropping to the floor as both arms flew around his stomach. His insides cramped and groaned and growled, and he clutched it painstakingly as he doubled over, his intestines squirming.

_What's...wrong with me..._

His tummy roiled violently in his arms, quaking and bubbling like a cauldron...Hei rubbed his hands back and forth over it desperately, but felt no reprieve.

“Damn it...u-ungh...there must've been...something wrong with that food...some kind of...tummy bug or something...UNH!”

He arched his back, pressing more deeply into his stomach with both hands, and then slumped to one side against the wall as the gurgling settled for a few moments, feeling a sheen of sweat coating him.

“N...ngh...”

_We have to get out of here..._

Shakily, he pulled himself up again, then faltered, realizing he couldn't straighten up all the way..his tummy was far too sick. Unsteadily, he stumbled to the door again, one hand over his gurgling belly, and hauled it open before turning around to fetch Yin, still panting slightly.

He almost ran into her, finding her standing right behind him and staring blankly in his direction. Hei slumped against the doorframe, a hand on his stomach.

"C...come on...let's go..."

After a few moments, Yin tilted her head all the way up, her deep purple eyes seeming to search his soul even though her face held no expression.

“Hei,” she said.

Hei stumbled past her, checking the room one last time to ensure they would be leaving no trace of themselves behind before heading back to the door.

“We'll skip to the next town and grab a boat,” he murmured. “No stops. You gonna be all right with that 'til evening?”

Yin turned toward him.

“Hei. Your belly is sick,” she surmised, her usual quiet tone almost drowned out by a sudden, eruptive groan from somewhere deep inside the Contractor.

“N...nhh...” Still sweating a little, Hei struggled for a few moments to strap his hidden utility belt around his straining, roaring gut, which let out a desperate, agonized gurgle as he tightly fastened the clasps. “Oh...u-unhh...nhh...”

His belly was pale, clammy, and slightly bloated, making it an even tighter fit, but Hei pulled his shirt back down shakily and it became impossible to tell. He hastened for his boots, almost running into Yin again as he found her standing directly in front of him once more. She stared at him passively.

“Hei's belly is sick,” she observed again, reaching out toward it...but Hei grabbed her hand roughly, pulling her toward the door and slinging the backpack over one shoulder.

“I'll be fine, Yin,” he uttered, his voice strained. “I'll...”

His belly squelched audibly, and the Reaper fell forward, doubling over as he wrapped his arms around it.

“U...ungh! What's going on...u-unnhhh...my insides are...”

He gripped them desperately, feeling as though they had been liquefied. He felt Yin reaching for him. He shook his head.

“Yin...h-how far away are they...”

“Ten minutes.”

“Ngh...” Hei reached down and grabbed her hand again, shouldering open the door and stumbling out toward the exit.

“Checking out, sir?”

It was the same woman at the front desk as it had been the night before...Hei fixed his pale, sweaty face into a vacant smile as he slid their keys calmly over the counter.

“Y-yup,” he said, his false, happy-go-lucky voice very slightly strained. “Thanks for everything.”

His stomach roiled sickly again from the other side of the counter, and the woman regarded him for a moment or so.

“Was it all to your liking, sir?”

“Y...yeah. It was all great.”

 _Rrrrrrrrrrrlrlrlrlrlrrlp_.

“Ohh...”

“Sir?” the woman asked as Hei's elbow came down to rest against the desk for a moment, his stomach still gurgling audibly.

“M....mnh.” Hei looked up at her again, his strained smile fixed in place...they couldn't draw attention to themselves. “W-well, we'll be going.”

“Wait, sir.”

“Y...yes?”

The woman looked boredly at her nails. “On behalf of the Quick Stay Motel, thank you for your quick stay with us, and would you be willing to fill out a survey on our--,”

“Nnnnhh!” Hei held his stomach behind the desk for a moment, his eyes squeezing shut despite the fact that his smile was still clenched in place, his stomach erupting in a fresh series of gurgles and groans. “I-I mean...n...nope, sorry! Maybe...next time...we're kind of in a rush.”

“All right, very good. Have a nice day, sir.”

Hei walked as quickly and steadily as he could out into the street with Yin, dark eyes shifting back and forth beneath slightly damp bangs.

“We clear?” he uttered darkly to Yin under his breath.

“Clear.”

Hei tightened his grip on her hand and walked hastily down the street, veering left as he saw a bus pulling into a stop and moving swiftly on board without stopping.

“Five minutes,” Yin murmured.

Hei nodded and let his breath out slightly...they'd made it.

“Just keep your head down,” he said quietly, moving deeper into the bus and sinking tersely into one of the empty seats, his belly sloshing audibly from the movement.

He felt Yin sit down next to him and pinch the end of his sleeve. Underneath it, he could feel the utility belt pressing deep into his soft, sloshing belly, and he bit back a groan as best he could.

“Hei.”

“Yin...” Hei leaned forward a little, closing his eyes as he muttered to her under his breath. “My...ouhhh...my _s_ - _stomach_...”

He couldn't help the sudden, loud groan that escaped him at the same time that a huge, rumbling gurgle exploded throughout his entire gut, both sounds drawing the attention and stares of several nearby passengers on the bus as Hei clamped both hands to his aching tummy, muscles clenching visibly as he twisted in his seat.

_Rrrrrrrlllrllrlllrlrlp. Gwwooooorgh._

_Oh...my belly..._

Panting slightly, his hair falling down into his face, Hei closed his eyes for a few moments as he tried to recover from the relentless onslaught of his upset stomach.

“Hei,” Yin uttered, her low volume matching his own.

 _GWWWWWWWWWWORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLLRLRLLLLP_.

“Ouhhh...” Hei moaned, squeezing his gut in desperate attempt to keep it quiet.

It erupted again just moments later, and a smattering of alarmed murmurs went around the other passengers from the loud and unexpected noise...slowly, more heads turned toward the ongoing turmoil of Hei's poor stomach. Hei glanced around hazily...the bus was coming toward its next stop, and even though they had only just gotten on, he took Yin's hand and hauled himself to his feet again, walking slightly hunched over with his free hand holding his very sick belly as he pulled her back off the bus.

“Li!”

Hei froze for a moment, his eyes flashing...a moment later, he recognized the voice, and groaned inwardly.

_Not now..._

He turned slowly, a strained smile back on his face.

_That police woman again..._

“O-oh, hey,” he said idly as the Chief of Police came hurrying toward them. “Chief Kirihara...I mean, Misaki. It's been a while. Nh...”

Chief Kirihara slowed to a halt in front of the two of them, her expression mildly shocked.

“Li-kun, what are you doing here?”

“M-mnh...whaddya mean?” Hei asked pleasantly, his grip tightening unintentionally around Yin's hand as he fought not to hunch forward any more than he already was.

“What do you mean, what do I mean? I haven't seen you in ages, I thought you up and left town...what are you doing back in Tokyo?”

“O-oh, right,” Hei said mildly, and his abdomen clenched visibly.

 _Gwwooorrgh_.

“Mnh...you see, my ah, sister back home got pretty ill, I had to cut my semester short early,” he said idly, making the story up as it came to him. “Sorry, you're right. I did skip town pretty suddenly, huh? But she's...n-nh...all better now, s-so I flew back here to...to talk to the university and see if they'd...consider taking me back even though I bailed on 'em.”

 _Grlrllrllp_.

“Oh...” Misaki looked slightly taken aback. “I...didn't realize. Sorry to hear it.”

 _Guuuuuuuuurgllllllllle_.

“Nh...thanks, I appreciate that,” Hei said, rubbing the back of his head. “H-here's hoping, huh? Was nice running into you, though, Misaki. S-seems like you're doing well.”

“Ah well, you know, work keeps me on my toes,” Misaki responded distractedly. “Li, is that your...stomach?”

 _Gworrrlrlrlp_.

“N...nh...what do you mean?” Hei inquired politely.

“I can hear your belly gurgling from here. Do you...have an upset stomach?”

Hei laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his head again. “O-oh nah, I'm fine, I just--,”

“His tummy is sick.”

Both Hei and Misaki looked down at Yin, Misaki in surprise and Hei with near-murderous intent. Yin didn't react, still holding Hei's other hand as she stared straight ahead...Misaki peered at her curiously.

“Oh, h-hello there. Um...” Misaki glanced back at Hei, who managed to fix his smile back in place right as she did so. “Is this your...sister, Li? Or...”

Her eyes flickered to their clasped hands, and she turned very faintly pink.

“...A...girlfriend, maybe?”

“M....mnh...” Hei's stomach cramped and gurgled again, and he slumped forward just a little...he felt Yin's fingers tighten very slightly around his own.

“His tummy is sick,” she repeated tonelessly.

 _Glllorororllrlp_.

“Well, anyway...catch you later,” Hei said loudly, as Misaki opened her mouth to speak...he tugged on Yin's hand a little and began to walk again. “Let's catch up some time, okay, Misaki?”

“Wait – Li-kun –,”

But he had already stepped onto the crosswalk with Yin...another large bus passed by them as he did so, and by the time it had driven by, neither of them were anywhere to be found.

\-----------

“Oh...nhh...uhhh...”

Hei lay on his back, his shirt rolled up to his ribs and one knee drawn up in discomfort...a gloved hand sank softly into his sick, gurgling belly, and he looked over as Yin knelt down neatly beside him.

They were in a small, empty storage facility, and Hei was draped over a large, empty shipping container, his soft stomach rising and falling somewhat rapidly as it bubbled and groaned.

“Ouuuh...my stomach's never felt like this before...”

Yin gazed at him severely, eye-level with his panting belly from her knelt position...silently, she reached out and put a hand over it, as though to try and hold it still.

“Ohhh...uuuuunhhh...oh...nhh...”

“Hei,” Yin murmured. “Your belly's really sick.”

Hei looked over at her weakly...she pushed on his stomach a little, and he cried out as it exploded in a deep gurgle beneath her touch. 

"Wh-what?"

“Hei's sick tummy isn't getting better,” Yin insisted dully. "Need help."

Hei's belly suddenly expanded outwards as a massive gurgle filled it, then collapsed again as Hei moaned and clutched it softly.

Yin rubbed his stomach for a few moments, then moved both her hands up to place them on either side of it, feeling it softly and beginning to examine the area with cold but gentle fingers.

“Hei.”

“N...nhh...” Hazy blue eyes looked over at Yin. “Is that why you...nhh...talked to that police woman? Why you...ngh...told her my tummy was sick?”

Yin nodded faintly.

“She could help,” she said absently.

“How?”

“Don't know.”

Hei sighed, rubbing his stomach with one hand while he held it with the other...it was hard to lecture Yin when he knew she had just been trying to find a way to help. His gut shook visibly as a big rumble tore through it, his insides still feeling as though they'd been turned to liquid.

“Oh...nnghhh! What did I eat...?” he rolled onto his side and gave Yin his back so she wouldn't see him clenching his teeth in pain and discomfort. 

He heard Yin climb quietly up onto the shipping container beside his curled up form.

“Hei,” he heard her murmur again, and he knew she was worried about him even though her tone was as dull as ever.

“Ngh...don't worry Yin, I'll be fine. I just – oouuuuhhhh!”

 _How embarrassing,_ he thought weakly...the famous Black Reaper lying here with a sick, gurgly tummy...

“Oh my insides...”

He curled up further, but it made it worse...he unfurled and his belly let rip a huge, roiling groan.

“UNH! Nhh...uhh...my belly...n-ngh? Yin?”

He'd felt her arms come around him unexpectedly, and for a bizarre moment he thought she was giving him a hug.

Without a word, however, the pale young woman pulled him back,letting his back rest against her front...he slumped against her, too weak to protest, and she rested her chin lightly atop his head as her arms slid through his own, around to his front.

“Ngh...u-ungh...Yin, what're you...doing?” Hei managed to groan, looking down at himself as her pale hands ran up the length of his stomach, sliding his shirt all the way back up to his ribs again to expose his bare, visibly-bubbling middle. "H...hey...”

Gently, Yin's hands fluttered down onto either side of his bare stomach, holding it as it shifted and rippled and shook in her palms with each tumultuous groan and gurgle. Then, once the noise died down a little, with delicate grace, she began to run her hands over the surface in slow, light circles.

“Yin...”

His gut gurgled sickly, and Yin cupped one side of it in her palm while she continued rubbing it with the other, her hand gliding smoothly over the surface. Hei watched her do so weakly through half-lidded eyes, then strained a little as his belly cramped up.

“Unh...u-ugh...UNNHH!”

“Shh,” Yin whispered absently, reaching her small hands all the way over his poor upset tummy.

“Yin – u-uuuugh!”

“Shh,” Yin murmured again, simply, her fingers moving over his bellybutton in delicate circles before she wrapped her hands protectively across his soft, straining stomach, rubbing it gently. Very slightly, her eyebrows lifted in surprise as she felt a massive, raucous sound tear all the way through his stomach, his intestines, then to his gut cavity and bowels. Hei twisted in her arms, a desperate moan escaping him.

“Yin...we have to...nhh...move soon...we're supposed to...be in the next town already...ohhhh...”

Yin bowed her head, rubbing his stomach for him.

“Hei's belly is sick,” she murmured as an argument.

“It...nhh...it doesn't matter...Yin...we have to go soon...”

Exhausted, Hei's gaze shifted downwards again as his stomach's contents rolled and sloshed around, watching Yin's hands glide over it despite the rumbles and grumbles.

“Not yet,” said Yin.

 _I can't move..._ Hei grit his teeth.

“Ngh...soon, though, all right?”

She gave a reluctant nod...Hei hesitated, then lowered his eyes, his face sweaty and bloodless.

“Yin...” he paused. “Will you...NGH! U-unhh...will you...keep rubbing my belly until then?”

Yin gave another nod.


End file.
